Mythologist | Author | Speaker | Illustrator
-
Articles
From Sanskritisation to Backwardation
A century ago, many communities wanted to be recognised as Brahmins and Kshatriya. Today, the same groups want to be Other Backward Community (OBC). The old varna model (Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya, Shudra, Ati-shudra or Pancham) is now replaced by a new categorisation (General, OBC, Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe). …
-
Articles
The Evolution of Mythology and History
If history is the objective study of the past, does that mean myths have no value? Can ancient traditions, which shaped the identities of civilisations for centuries, simply be dismissed as fiction?…
-
Articles
Identities In Conflict
Who you are depends on who you oppose. To have an identity, you have to take sides. Sitting on the fence is not allowed. Left or Right…
-
Articles
Cultural Significance of State Trees
Every state in India has a tree. Unfortunately, when you go to the various railway stations and airports in the capital city of each state, you do not find the state tree…
-
Articles
Men with Shaved Heads
According to legend, when Shankaracharya went to meet Brahmin scholar Mandan Mishra, around 700 AD, Mishra refused to look at him because his head was shaved. This is why the Shankaracharyas cover their heads with cloth even today, as shaven heads are still seen as symbols of bad luck and inauspiciousness…
-
Articles
Not Ready to ‘Tremble and Obey’
China was always centralised with the Dragon throne in Forbidden City seeking tributes from the rest of the world. India, by contrast, is based on the Mandala model, first described by Chanakya, a set of intersecting spheres of power that are endlessly pulsating, contracting and expanding over time. No centralisation…
-
Articles
Layer Upon Layer of the Ramayana
Ramayana story exists in layers, capturing key transformations of Hindu society. …
-
Articles
Incomplete Marriages
Incomplete unions ensure the hero is not a monk, but married (auspicious) and also celibate (auspicious). His shrine can therefore be visited by women too…
-
Articles
Cultural Significance Of Elephant and Horse
The elephant and the horse have played a major role in shaping Indian culture. The elephant is native to India; the horse is not…
-
Articles
Horse Before Petrol
Horses cannot be bred easily in India because of the climate. Most of the land is taken up by farms; therefore, horses can only be bred in stalls. The hot and humid climate of the monsoon is unfavourable to horses. It softens their hooves and leeches the grass of selenium, a vital nutrient. The rich…
-
Articles
Hail the Fire Goddesses
While some have argued that these sati practices were a means by which women protected themselves from being violated by invaders, the fact remains that sati stones began to appear in almost every corner of India, at least five centuries before the rise of the Islamic period of India…
-
Articles
Whose Shrine Is It, Anyway?
Across India today, there is a movement to identify Hindu shrines that were broken by Muslims and replaced by mosques and dargahs. This is being done in the name of social justice—historical wrongs are being made right. However, the same enthusiasm is not seen when it comes to the Buddhist and Jain demands for the…
-
Articles
Secrets of Goddesses and Trees
Jamboo Savari is the great elephant procession of Mysore kings during the post-monsoon festival of Dussehra. Many people think Jamboo or Jambi comes from the word “jumbo” which means “extra large” and was the name of a large African elephant imported to Victorian England…
-
Articles
How Mythology Impacts Notions of Social Justice
It is important to understand how mythology impacts our notions of social justice. Modern social justice has its roots in monotheism, not in atheism…
-
Articles
Kubera, the Refugee From Lanka
When the Constitution of India was first published, over 75 years ago, it included many artworks. Amongst them was one showing Kubera, Ravana’s brother and the king of wealth and yakshas (nature spirits), fleeing from Lanka. It is often mistaken for Hanuman burning Lanka, but there are no flames of a burning city or a…
-
Articles
ASAP In Eternal Time
ASAP is a popular acronym for ‘as soon as possible’. But more often than not it is used to mean ‘immediately’ in corporate circles. In political, bureaucratic and judicial circles, it depends on the relationship of the beneficiary and the benefactor…